JEDDAH: While Hajj flights returning from Jeddah continue to be inordinately delayed, a Pakistani pilgrim breathed his last while waiting to catch a flight back to Karachi late on Sunday night, Express 24/7 reported.
Abdur Rehman was scheduled to board PK-2010 with other pilgrims who were going to return to Karachi after performing Hajj.
However, like other Hajj flights, the flight was subjected to a delay of several hours. Rehman died at the airport while waiting to board.
According to a Pakistan International Airlines spokesperson, the deceased pilgrim’s body is in the custody of Saudi officials. It will be handed over to the Pakistani embassy after official documentation.
Delays continue
Flight PK- 2508 carrying pilgrims from Jeddah to Islamabad reached after a delay of more than five hours.
Flights coming to Lahore experienced the same fate, with two planes returning eight and 11 hours late respectively.
No VIP treatment
Even VIPs faced the brunt of waiting for hours to get home, as citizens and parliamentarians alike were on delayed flights. At the Karachi airport, a special Hajj flight carrying 65 lawmakers landed after a delay of eight hours. Talking to the media at the airport, most parliamentarians lamented the provision of poor services to citizens.
They said the flight was delayed “despite the presence of such a large number of parliamentarians”. They also pointed out that there was a major language barrier at PIA terminals at Saudi airports.
‘Delay because of excessive luggage’
On the other hand, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Khursheed Shah defended the national flag carrier, blaming the delayed flights on excessive luggage.
Talking to media, he added that the extra baggage was purely a passenger-created problem.
He also pointed out that the same issue had marred the services of 36 international airlines involved in Hajj operations.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2011.
COMMENTS (41)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
but how did he die?? was he ill or did he suffer a sudden heartattack?? Such poor and incomplete reporting from your newspaper!!
Me and my wife went for Hajj in year 2000. Hajj was on March 14 that year and our return flight was on March 28. We were dropped at the airport 6 hours before the scheduled time of departure. The flight was delayed for 28 hours. We had to wait at the airport for 34 hours. 8 to 12 hours delay is nothing compared to that.
To all those who say people come in late etc. I agree people do come in late but no airline in the world waits for the passenger; you have to be on time then you have to be on time. I have flown quite a lot to know that you have to be on time. I was left at heathrow airport once because I showed up late and they left. Point being PIA should leave all the passenger behind so that they know not to do it next time. PERIOD.
I thought journalism was supposed to be unbiased. What does a delayed flight has to do with PIA. It is God who will take you life, could be me while I write this on express tribune. But seriously express tribune; not a good way to give your argument. I mean the passenger died it has nothing to do with PIA. I mean otherwise he would have died on the plane - if thats what was destined to happen. I hope my comments get posted as they weren't last time, guess moderator never felt like it :-)
PIA is one of the worst airlines operating on earth.
If am criticizing PIA this does not mean that I am not a patriot. In fact I am talking reality.
The issue of delay reporting at the airport does not arise. All passengers before going to Saudi Arabia are properly trained and know all the reporting time at the airport.
''Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) continued its tradition of delayed Hajj flights on Monday''
-hmm bit sarcastic and childish for a big newspaper?
People with health problems shouldn't be making such hectic trips in the first place. No healthy person ever died because of a five-hour delay at an airport.
But still, PIA needs to shape up.
The Hajji was on Saudi territory at a Saudi Airport. He was there for Hajj, the most important religious duty of a Muslim. Saudi Arabia assumes leadership of the Muslim Ummah. Saudi Arabia is a resource rich country.
Now the question is what did Saudi Arabia do to help the Hajji?
Unless they were meant to fly him to the hospital they didn't do anything to that pilgrim.
The news title is wrong. PIA should not be blamed for this. He must be having some issue with his health. In fact, it is good that flight got delayed otherwise he would have died inside the aircraft, which would have caused greater problem. On another matter, PIA should minimize delays in flight. It does not need additional cost but discipline. Plain discipline...
Not a PIA fault, Saudi authorities have a messed up system, we went through it..it is chaos and Airlines are helpless
@Dear Readers The title of the article is intentionally chosen like this. The person who died was obviously waiting for his flight, but there could be other reasons of his death. Jeddah airport is a very busy airport and no doubt many flights get delayed, even british and other european airlines.
@ PROUD BALOCH. is it happening first time in history that people are performing HAJJ from PAKISTAN?? PIA must be aware of expected problems and how to tackle them..
I don't understand how PIA can be involved in this death directly or indirectly. It is not as if the punctual departure of the scheduled flight could have delayed the demise of this gentleman. It seems that these days anything is used to leg PIA.
May Allah bless his soul.
PIA joins hand with angel of death.
Its a deliberate attempt by some of influential politicians one of whom is in presidential palace to close down PIA and to be replaced by their own INDUS AIRLINES (go search the web for it)
PS: dont think i'm excluding lazy employees
Aged people, with ailing health and limbs, go to the pilgrimage at their own risk. So much travel and heavy rituals are taxing on the body and it is not surprising that a few do not make it back. While the unnecessary flight delays are lamentable, PIA is hardly the only party responsible here. Saudi airports are mired with incompetence and mismanagement.
Great people to fly with... Come , fly with us... Non-sense....
PIA's in air safety record is well ......its a record. Its the folks on the ground that have to worry!
I am sorry but the heading implies PIA fault in this. Please avoid causing such confusions Tribune. You are one of the few sensible bunch of people. do not make us feel we are reading Geo website.
"They said the flight was delayed despite the presence of such a large number of parliamentarians" Nice to see that the parliamentarians' expectation for special treatment could not be dented by a stay at Allah's house
According to a comment by a PIA offical a few months back this delay in anything has become a cultural issue so why should PIA be an exception! He offered no apologies either! It was horrific to see such a comment from an airline official! Tells you alot about the mindset that the passengers have to deal with. I will never fly with PIA until they improve their services, they can claim that they helped start other airlines etc but that means nothing to the passengers travelling today.
Its not about Saudi and Hajis. following are 2 examples.
My friends were supposed to reach dubai at 2 pm and they reached at 2 am next day (12 hours late, PK 208:SATURDAY) My brother had to reach here at Karachi from Abu Dhabi at 11 pm last night, and he entered home today morning at 8:00 am when i was leaving for my office. LOL.PIA - Great people to fly with :)
Please stop criticising PIA. I think PIA should drop passengers who bring accessive luggae and later do not even know where the terminals and then arrive on the airports late every one after doing Hajj thinks himself of some kind of a diety.
PIA zindabad...
WAPDA, KESC, SSGC, Pakistan Steel Mill, Pakistan Machine tool factory, Pakistan Railways, PIA.. are falling down..falling down ..falling down !!
The worse Airline ever. My parents were supposed to land here at 0300hrs am but, still, they have not even flown from SA as yet.
I hope people don't criticize PIA for this. At Saudi airports, poor passengers who don't know about maximum luggage limit argue for hours with PIA officials and this ends up in flights getting delayed.
Give our airlines a rest will ya.